SUGAR LAND, Texas – A Houston nanny is recovering from serious injuries after Sugar Land police say she was attacked by a stranger wielding a baseball bat while walking a 2-year-old child in a stroller Friday morning.
The attack happened around 10:00 a.m. near Creekbend Drive and Fluor Daniel Drive, according to the Sugar Land Police Department.
Investigators say the woman was walking in the area when an unknown man approached her and assaulted her with a baseball bat before fleeing in an SUV.
The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Her husband, Dannel Caban, said the attack began when a man driving an SUV appeared to be asking for directions.
“He was coming against traffic,” Caban said.
Caban said his wife became suspicious after noticing the vehicle was traveling the wrong direction and seeing a baseball bat inside.
“The guy right away came out of the car and started swinging the bat,” Caban said. “She tried to start running and he hit her on the back of the head.”
At the time of the attack, Caban said his wife was caring for a two-year-old child and pushing the toddler in a stroller.
He said her immediate concern was protecting the child.
As she tried to call 911, Caban said the attacker smashed her phone and continued the assault.
“He broke her phone in his hand. After that, still swinging and swinging,” Caban said.
According to Caban, his wife raised her arm to protect herself from another blow aimed at her head.
The impact shattered both bones in her forearm.
Caban said doctors later inserted plates and screws into her arm during surgery.
“Five or six months to recover,” Caban said.
Despite her injuries, he said his wife never lost consciousness and continued fighting back until the suspect fled.
A passerby eventually stopped to help and call for assistance.
When Caban arrived, he said he feared the worst.
“I saw her completely full of blood, with the arm literally hanging,” he said. “I thought that was the end of her life.”
The toddler was not physically injured during the attack, according to Caban.
Sugar Land police describe the suspect as a man believed to be in his 30s or 40s.
The victim told investigators he was tall and had a heavier build.
Police say he fled in an older-model SUV, though investigators have not released additional details about the vehicle.
Authorities have not identified a motive and said there is no indication the victim knew her attacker.
According to the Sugar Land Police Department’s public crime dashboard, the city has recorded 14 aggravated assaults so far in 2026, compared with 11 during the same period in 2025.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the vehicle involved is asked to contact the Sugar Land Police Department at 281-275-2020 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS.